After eight hours there, with the promise of three more to go, I started to cry.

I'm not going into the details. Let's just say cheekymice, I have a whole new well of sympathy for you. I can't imagine having to go through this as many times as you have.

Upshot: I am not dying. I do have uterine fibroids, which make it difficult if not impossible to have children. Since I had no interest in doing so, that doesn't bother me. They also, apparently, are the cause of some of my pain. Not all, just some. They may or may not contribute to the stomach pain and vomiting. No one knows.

Next time you go to the ER, tell them you fell off a ladder (no kidding) and that you HIT YOUR HEAD. Seriously. Head Injuries go straight to the front of the line. But be convincing. Then while they are checking that out, tell them to look at your (stomach, hand, back - whetever really hurts) too. I learned this when my wife hit her head a while ago and have used it every time since - it works. You may still wait, but you'll do it from a hospital bed in a room, and if they are really busy, they'll rush to get you out. Try it next time. Good Luck.C

Actually, I really lucked out, because my sister Jeni is an ER nurse, and she was on yesterday. She expedited a bunch of it for me, AND she saved me from a very expensive CT scan that I didn't need. I would have been a mess without her helping me.

I hesitate to jump the line, usually, because I saw a bunch of people who were seriously sick, and I wouldn't want to make them wait for me. The bad part was waiting for all the tests. The REALLY bad part is that the doctors order all these tests to cover their asses so they don't get sued, so even if you probably don't need a test, they'll do it anyway (and charge a fortune) just in case. I don't blame them, I blame the people who sue for no reason, because they think the hospital has deep pockets. HAAATE.

All I can say about CT scans is that a CT scan saved my life. The doctor's told me that I was too young to consider a CT but they couldn't figure it out. Well, I went to the emergency room and they gave me one lickety split and found out that I had a tumor on my left and right kidney. Three surgeries later, here I am.

Much sucketh, particularly adding to stress by piling on medical bills. But glad it sounds like it's fibroids or stress. Of all the things that coulda been...

Just had the surgery to remove a massive fibroid last year and what a difference it made. Most every woman of reproductive age gets 'em, just only some of us that actually get problems because of them. Lucky us, eh?

I prescribe some dancing to pretty, floaty music as stress relief once you're over your cold. ;-) *hug*